Mazzone, Rumors owners apologize for banning salon owner

Although we can’t undo what happened we offer our sincere apologies Mr Simille, the community and our loyal customers who were disappointed in us and the events that took place . We wish Jean Claude and his staff nothing but the best and hope that he will soon be our guest for a toast to a bright future of the restaurant and our respective salons.

In the heat of the moment, during the hustle and bustle of opening a new restaurant, we made a decision that was wrong – plain and simple. … I take full responsibility for my decision and would like to extend my sincere personal apologies to Jean Claude Simille, our loyal guests and all those offended by my actions.

Earlier update: This post has been revised to reflect an interview with Rumors co-owner Marri Aviza. I left a voicemail on her cellphone before publishing the original version three hours ago, but she said she did not receive it.

Salon owner Jean Claude Simille, who owns three Jean Paul Spa & Salon locations in the Capital Region, was asked to leave the new Tala American Bistro in Latham on Friday (4/26) and was told he was banned from the restaurant because of bad blood between him and the owners of Rumors Salon & Spa and Rumors IV Men. Tala, which leases space on the north side of the 12,000-square-foot Rumors building at 626 New Loudon Road (Route 9), was serving food and drink during a soft opening last week and officially opens today.

Restaurateur Angelo Mazzone, who co-owns Tala with partners Leah and Tom Tyrrell, told me that that Simille, who was quietly eating and not misbehaving, was asked to leave and never return. Mazzone said he is not clear on the source of the business-related acrimony between the salon owners and referred questions to Aviza.

Aviza told me that last week’s soft opening was for Rumors’ customers, staff, friends and family only and that Simille was asked to leave because he had done the equivalent of crashing a private party. She said he refused Leah Tyrrell’s request to depart. While the request was made on Aviza’s behalf, neither she nor her business partner, Lisa Norgrove, were at Tala or the salon at the time. From the various sides of the story I’ve heard, Tyrrell believed Simille’s presence would upset the Rumors owners. The only direct representative of Rumors to tell Simille that he should leave was the salon’s attorney, who was at Tala at the time, Aviza said.

“We’re in the hospitality business. We cater to people,” Aviza said. However, she said of Simille, “He was somewhere he didn’t belong and wouldn’t leave when he was asked to.” However, a large sign on the building last week read “NOW OPEN,” invitations were not required and other diners at Tala on Friday night report making reservations despite no connection to Rumors.

Simille said he was was unaware that the soft opening was considered a private event, that he was not asked for an invitation and that his drink and food orders were taken without question. He said he didn’t refuse to leave but instead asked why he was being thrown out and banned. When Simille was told he wouldn’t be served the entrée he and his dining companion had planned to share — they’d already finished an appetizer — they left, he said. Their check was comped, he said.

In November, Simille opened his third Jean Paul Spa & Salon in Newton Plaza, just down the road from Rumors. Before the move to its new building last summer, Rumors was located in the Newton Plaza space taken over by Simille’s spa.

“They were furious,” he said. “They have been very nasty to me ever since.” Aviza said she, Norgrove, Simille and their spouses once socialized but no longer do. She said Simille had paid for a billboard that she believed attacked Rumors and otherwise found objectionable.

Although Tala is an independent restaurant with no affiliation with or control by its landlord, Mazzone said he and Tyrrell believed banning Simille was necessary to satisfy Aviza, whom they believed would have been angered by his presence.

“We can’t afford to alienate (Rumors),” said Mazzone. He estimated that more than 25 percent of Tala’s business will come from the salon’s 100-plus employees, more from clients and other referrals.

By later afternoon Mazzone had reconsidered and apologized. See his full statement here.

Simille is the first person to be banned from any of Mazzone Hospitality’s multiple properties for reasons unrelated to the restaurant. Mazzone estimated that, over the years, he’s banned a total of perhaps three or four people for drunken, disorderly or other unacceptable behavior. Simille, who is in his mid-70s, said he has never before been banned from a restaurant.

He denied that he went to Tala to cause trouble.

“It’s very near my new (salon),” he said. “I wanted to see what it was like.”

Steve Barnes

549 Responses

I do feel like there has to be more to the story but MAzzone decided to comment and I am shocked at Mazzone’s comment and admission to such ridiculous behavior. I have a small business and just from our experience if you decide to pick and choose who can stay and go based on other peoples personal issues you are doomed. But he is already successful and people will forget over time what happened and if the restaurant is good they will be fine Im sure.

What happened to integrity? He kicked him out because Rumors is 25% of his business? Total blather. If there’s another side to the story, someone should tell it. If not, this is pathetic; grown ups acting worse than grammar school kids.

I agree that they should have waited until he finished his meal and then escorted him out and requested he not return. No reason to embarrass him and themselves–which they now have done. I only went to Rumours once and was not impressed at all—but that is my opinion—a whole lot of hupla for nothing.

Please refer to a post on Tala’s Facebook page posted on April 24th stating they would be open for Rumors salon and spa clients ONLY on the 24th, 25th and 26th. They mentioned being open to the public officially on that following Monday.

This is not the first time I’ve heard of bad behavior by the Rumours folks. Apparently at the Starbucks at Newton Plaza they had cups for Rumours and for Jean Paul (as anyone who frequents Starbucks knows, there are usual two tip cups and you can “vote” for one choice or the other with your tip). Apparently someone from Rumours found out, became incensed, contacted Starbucks at the corporate level and insisted they come down hard on the folks at the Newton Plaza store. Talk about childish!! I am all for protecting your brand, etc. but fighting with barristas, banning competitors from a restaurant NEAR your salon? It seems to me like someone needs a break from Real Housewives – or has been spending too much time next to the hair bleach!!

I have never been to Rumors but have visited a couple of the Mazzone Restaurants. I believe Mazzone thinks his actions may have saved him his 25% of business from Rumours employees but I hope he loses much more from outside customers. His actions were rude. He should have told the Rumours owners to shove it!!

Are you kidding me? It just goes to show you that Angelo Mazzone can have all of his restaurants and businesses but still, to this day, cannot act like a man.
I will NEVER go to Rumors OR another Mazzone establishment. Word of mouth is going to get the best of him on this one

1. Yes it was poorly handled and the Rumors co-owners should be ashamed of themselves for (needlessly) putting Mr. Mazzone in that no-win situation as a time when one would think the restaurant needs all the positive buzz that it can generate. It’s more their fault than his, IMO.
2. In fairness to the owners of Tala, they had the right to refuse service. Even if Mr. Simille is not the greatest guy in the world, perhaps there was a better way of handling this? If “bad blood” was present, perhaps the Rumors/Mazzone team would have been wiser to have waited until the next day to contact Simille to request that he not patronize their establishment in the future…instead of allowing the “story” to be about their pettiness in kicking the guy out DURING dinner.
Then again, not knowing the Rumors folks or Mr. Simille (again, leaving Mr. Mazzone out of the crossfire), I have to wonder whether any of these people have the capacity for mature behavior.

On a related note, isn’t a salon/spa supposed to be a place that exemplifies peace & harmony?. In contrast, it would appear the Rumors owners are putting out some serious negative energy into the “Universe.”

I boycott the Mazzone restaurants because I have yet to have a better than “Meh” experience at one, and several have been downright bad. There are better tapas, Italian, and casual American style restaurants in Albany (and if I want an awesome steak, I just wait till I am in Manhattan or Houston. Or go to Texas de Brazil soon).

If Mazzone had saved a puppy’s life, that might have enticed me to give the restaurants another shot. This behavior does not.

After Angelo Mazzone personally ruined an anniversary dinner a few years ago by being boorish to me I’ve refused to eat at any Mazzone properties. Turns out that I can buy restaurant quality meats at Adventure in Food, cook everything exactly the way I want it and I don’t have to put up snotty behavior from the staff – OR the owner! (And honestly – even amazing grass-fed, dry-aged steaks that I make at home don’t cost nearly what 677 charges – plus I make better side dishes!)

After reading this, I would not patronize Rumors, and I feel strongly enough about it to spread the word. The Mazzone decision to comply with Aviza’s demands are troubling, and it would be admirable of the restaurateur to defy the Rumors’ owner. I can’t pretend to know or understand the pressures placed on Mazzone Hospitality though; it appears to be the victim here. I don’t know that we have the right to expect the heroic behavior it would require to resist Aviza. So, until and unless information disclosed in the future implicates the owners and managers of Tala, I’ll reserve judgement on that one.

This story is missing quite a few details. Jean Paul knew exactly what he was doing when he decided to attend Tala’s “soft opening” which by the way was for Rumor’s clients only (failed to mention that in this article). Just like he knew what he was doing when he jumped on the opportunity to take over Rumor’s old spot in Newton Plaza and post a tacky billboard right across from Rumor’s new location. Jean Paul is a snake who uses his senior citizenship to gain sympathy. He will take whatever he can at this point seeing as his business is drowning. Your pathetic!

Now, when my wife suggests going to Tavolo or Aperitivo, we’ll need to look elsewhere. Sadly, I have a gift certificate for Rumours that I need to cut up. Malozzi and Mazzone’s establishments are both now on my black list.

Nisky, if you rip up that gift certificate, doesn’t that just mean you give them free money? Pretty sure that would be a point in their court, not yours, if you’re trying to “punish” them. (Maybe more punishing to the person who bought your gift certificate?) Just sayin…

This entire episode is pathetic. Jean is playing Steve Barnes like a fiddle and you are all swaying to the music. Jean Paul & Rumors, for whatever reason, have bad blood between them. Jean went into Tala before it was even open to the public, during Rumor’s Customer Weekend, at which time the bistro was only open to Rumor’s clients. He did it just to stir the pot. My guess is that he was hoping to be asked to leave so he had a reason to publicly bash a competitor. The Mazzone brand should not be penalized for this silly incident. They had every right to ask him to please leave after he finished his meal. As with every post on this blog, there is more to the story than meets the eye. Reserve your judgments.

Well Angelo, you just lost me as a customer as well as the clients I bring to your places of business. I would not think that such retaliatory actions would be followed by a tenant with a respected business. I was wrong. I can also tell my wife to find a new place to get her hair done.

Why people get their britches up in a wad about this is beyond me. They had a fight, she had a hissy fit, whatever. The guy was asked to leave, who cares. If it were my business I probably wouldn’t have asked the guy to leave, but its not. It has zero impact on me or my willingness to go to either place.

I’d be more worried about comments such as…the food is horrible, or it looks like a blind person cut my hair. For the inevitable person that is apt to say I’m casting a stone on blind barbers, I’m not. I fully support them cutting your hair.

WOW & what about the business he is now losing from all of us who patronize Jean Paul’s salons???? I bet we add up to at least another 25% & given his track record lately with lawsuits is it wise to alienate more customers or potential customers?

Add me to the “done list” for both these “wannabe NYC pretenders”. How did small-minded Marri even know he was in the restaurant? As part of her operations, does she monitor video cameras of patrons heading into Tala? Mr. Mazzone is equally complicit in exhibiting classless and juvenile behavior, extremely poor judgment and a lack of business savvy.

So sad and too bad for you Mr Mazzone. You have left a bad taste in my mouth. I will think twice before entering any of your establishments. I think you will be losing more than 25% of business elsewhere.

We spend a lot of time and money at Mazzone Restaurants and have always been big fans. I am shocked that Angelo would do something so ungracious and classless. He should take a hard look at the company he keeps if this is how his new partners operate. We will rethink our next big meal out at Saratoga National as a result.

As expected there is a ton of false, inaccurate information here.. Tala was hosting a PRIVATE, (invite only) soft opening.. It wasnt even officially open yet! & he was NOT in the middle of dinner either, he was at the bar with a drink and an appetizer before he was kindly asked to leave.. Anyone so quick to disregard the joining of two great companies should reconsider.

Look a little further into the Jean Paul history and other salon owner ‘rifts’ in the Capital Region. He has underhanded another well-known up-and-coming salon (also female owned) a number of years ago that made the news, and these three have had a major competition since. This is not about the restaurant…

How interesting that Simille went to Tala during a pre-opening promotion for Rumors’ clients. The restaurant didn’t even officially open until today. Simille may be 70 but with age you don’t automatically gain class. Let’s open our eyes here people. Clearly he was looking to ‘eat up’ more than a delicious meal…

This whole situation was a “non-issue” until Mr. Mazzone kicked him out, whether Mr. Simile was attempting to bait anyone or not. What would it have mattered if he ate his dinner, paid for it and left. No one would have known anyting about his visit and he would have been out the cost of a Mazzone meal. If it were solely a promotion for Rumors clients, I assume there would have been a guest list or invitation to be presented at the door. If it was a trap set by Mr. Simille, he played it well knowing that both of the other fools would fall for it and eject him. How’s that working out for them . . . ?

I am a Rumors client and have always been treated excellent. We did receive a flyer for this event plus it was promoted on their facebook site. Seems to me that your theory is wrong, as well as your belief that he “didnt know”

Hmm, Across the street from rumors is a Jean Paul Billboard. Looking at Google Maps, I see previous ad from Verizon. Seems Jean Paul saw fit to put a billboard opposite his competitor. No wonder why Rumors owner is mad. As for the bistro, they are automatically dragged into the fight since they are in the same building. What hurts Rumors hurts the Bistro. So a competitor who deliberately chose to advertise across the road with big billboard then chooses to go eat in the same building as his competitor. The blame for this spat started at least as early as the Billboard. That makes Jean Paul’s at fault unless that owner can show how come he started the fight. Silly? On Jean Paul’s part, YES. IF someone sticks their finger in my eye, I hit back,; Reminds me of the COPS show about the battling Las V Marriage Bureaus.

Ah placing a billboard across the street from a competitor is considered good business Joe just ask any ad agency representative. As for eating in the same building of a competitor give me a break, Are the employees of Sears and Macy’s not both allowed to eat in Colonie Center?

Ridiculous. To have such a sense of self importance, that if you don’t like someone, in a public place, you can ask to have them banned. And that the restaurant actually complied w. this request (admitting he was quietly eating dinner). Truly pathetic. Why would anyone waste their money at this restaurant or Rumors salon. I can only assume the salon could discriminate against patrons as well.

With this type of behavior, I would hope Rumors, Rumors IV Men and Mazzones all lose business. This shows childish, immature and unprofessional behavior. If they would do this to one person, makes you wonder what they would do to a customer of theirs they got mad at. Would I take that chance with my food or at a spa??? No way!

I worked in several restaurants in the area for many years and have only kicked out a few people ever. They were banned for cause such as rubber checks and alcohol-fueled rampages. This does take the cake if you would. Owners of restuarants frequent their competitors on a regular basis and when I did, it seemed to be a token of goodwill. Although not the same thing, this guy should be able to eat where he pleases bad blood or not.

Jennifer is right. Money can’t buy class. I know where I will not ever be a patron.

I’m not sure where I side in this. But from looking at the Tala facebook page and seeing that it was only open to Rumors staff and clients that night I have to ask what was he doing there? Doesn’t seem right.

I’m very surprised and disappointed by Mr Mazzone bowing to that type of pressure.I find almost unbelievable that he would do such a thing. As far as the Rumor’s owner, I think she will find that just reading these comments how much she has hurt both establishments.

Kicking a seated, dining patron out of a public restaurant because of a landlord’s dictate sounds like a recipe for disaster! I’ll have to tell my tenant that he has to have all of his guests pre-approved. This behavior from so-called adults is just petty. Score One for the competition- of Mazzone’s and Rumors!

We exercised poor judgment when I asked a guest to leave our new restaurant due to acrimony between the patron and a neighborning business. In the heat of the moment, during the hustle and bustle of opening a new restaurant, we made a decision that was wrong – plain and simple.

We specialize in hospitality and I pride myself on the service we provide and the respect we show our customers. In this instance, I did not live up to my expectations and the standards to which I hold others. I take full responsibility for my decision and would like to extend my sincere personal apologies to Jean Claude Simille, our loyal guests and all those offended by my actions.

Too little, too late, never should have happened. I gave you credit for being a better judge of people, but obviously you had a momentary lapse that will cost you and your partners dearly. If you’re looking for a good movie I recommend “The Witches Of Eastwick”.

This should be a lesson that silent partners should stay silent. It is very unprofessional to base decision making on emotion. This isn’t Shaker Junior High. Angelo Mazzone is leader in the industry. This “partner” has given him a black eye, which in time will heal. But I wouldn’t let Leah Tyrrell make any more decisions.

kathryn: You got that right, Mrs.Tyrrell is clearly the catalyst for this entire debacle. Angelo, Marri, Lisa, AM&JC Simile, and Tom Tyrrell are all hard working people and why they got mixed up with the likes of Jango is perplexing.
Regardless, you do not throw someone out, he was not causing a scene, why would anyone else?
Mrs. Tyrrell you should brush up on your etiquette and do your partners a favor and walk away before you damage their reputations any further.
As for the rest mentioned above. RUN!!!

Wow, weird coincidence. Had it not been for a last minute conflict we’re still working out, we would be making reservations for ourselves and two other couples to try out Tala. Based on this grade school behavior we don’t have that problem, at least at Tala. I can’t tell if this reminds me more of the Soup Nazi, or like someone making up for all the things that she was left out of when she was a child.

So they were afraid of alienating Rumors customers. what about Jean Paul’s customers? What about the average person who goes in there and might have had a disagreement with a member of the staff? Will they be banned as well? Soft OPENINGS are typically open to the general public but with no advertising. TRAINING days are typically open only to friends, family, etc. and there is an invitation card to go with that. Tala has lost my and many others business for there POOR judgement.

What was the point of this story? If it was meant to embarrass Simile, it backfired. Rumors can’t take the competition? By the way, both salons are over-priced — cutting hair is a talent but it’s not rocket science.

As a former employee of both salons, I can truthfully say I know that each owner is cut throat. What makes me most disappointed is the selfish disregard to the employees working at Rumors and Tala who now will suffer the consequences because of Jean Claude and Marri’s personal rivalry. After the decades of being in business you’d think they would realize that there are plenty of clients to go around and that instead of obsessing over bringing each other down, they should focus on improving their OWN salons and keeping their clients and employees happy.

Are people serious about boycotting these establishments? Do you know how many innocent people you would be hurting by doing that? None of the employees at Rumors nor any of the Mazzone restaurant staff members had *anything* to do with this. Why harm the local economy by not supporting these businesses?

I am not a Rumors customer, so I can’t comment on my experiences there. I do, however, frequent most of the Mazzone restaurants… and will continue to do so because the food and service are EXCELLENT and because the restaurant group does a lot of good for this community.

(Side note, as others have pointed out: lots of extremely harsh criticism here from people who really don’t know the whole story. It’s so easy to type away at our computers, isn’t it?)

So how or what should one do to respond to such boorish and juvenile behavior by an owner? Just forget about it continue to support such miserable traits and make them rich without regard to their conduct? Unfortunately, there are innocent victims in every “war” and “haute professionals” like Marri and Angelo should have thought about their actions and subsequent effects/consequences before they shot themselves in the foot and accidentally hit their employees in the process.

‘So how or what should one do to respond to such boorish and juvenile behavior by an owner?’ – The same way we did in 5th grade, by writing nasty comments on bathroom stalls. You have to fight fire with fire…or in this case, wedgies with wedgies.

As a business owner myself, the business owner will suffer because of poor judgment made by the staff.
This is an example of where the staff will suffer due to ownership’s actions.
Maybe Tyrrell should of thought of the employees of Rumors and Tala before she made this very poor decision.

You do have a point about the innocent ’employees’ of both establishments, (particularly Rumors as the hair stylists probably rent their booths).

I disagree though and find these comments to be mostly dead on. Apparently Mazzone agreed as he issued an apology -too late, since the damage has been done.

I don’t go to either salon as my hair is long and straight and I see no point in paying a bunch of money to have someone rip my hair (brush from the bottom with long hair folks!) and cut a straight line.

I’m likely not going to stop in Tala because 1. I don’t like that type of pay through the nose but sit within inches of the next diner layout -though I might sit at the bar
2.Kicking out a paying customer b/c your business partner? associate? friend? is a rival of the customer.

Looks like Rumours just lost another customer to Jean Paul. I’ve been looking for a new salon after they bumped me out my last appointment and had the nerve to blame it on me. They said my appointment was at 4:30 and not the 6:00 time I had. I told them that was impossible, because I distinctly remember telling the receptionist that I needed something after I got out of work at 5:00 and there’s no way I would have accepted a 4:30 appointment. Then, of course, I received the worst haircut ever!! I’ve gotten better ones in the mall for half the price. As for Mazzone – since when does he need to take orders on who may eat at his restaurants. I’m afraid to go to any of them now for fear, someone would be whispering in his ear to kick me out since I’ve decided to now patronize Jean Paul. Ridiculous!!

Foolish, childish and pathetic on the part of Aviza! Truly unfortunate and short-sighted on the part of Mazzone. You should never go against your better judgement (even if they hold your lease). I’ve never been to a Rumors or a Mazzone establishment, and after reading this I certainly won’t be visiting a Rumors and would think twice about Mazzone. As someone else mentioned, you must be carful who you associate with. It’s amazing what some bad public opinion can do to a thriving business.

Wow. Hope it felt good to throw that old man out, because that move will cost them dearly. Add me to the list of people who will never set foot in Tala. This should expedite the inevitable Mazzone bankruptcy process.

This story has very one sided. It is a good example of sensationalism. I have done business with both Rumors and Jean Paul’s years ago. Jean Claude is very egotistical . And as a business person I can see where he can be very crafty. The reason there are two of his salons at Stuyvesant Plaza is he did not want any competition there.
Marri Aviza and her parter were always very professional and friendly.

@ Kathleen – one does not need to own a business to understand poor etiquette, poor judgement and poor customer service. I’ve never owned a restaurant (or any other business) either, but I’ve certainly never been told to leave a business or have banned for a business, and I’ve never seen it happen to anyone else either.